“We really want people to be safe be out of the streets.”
And Mayor Bob Monetza and the Grand Haven city council are authorizing 35 thousand dollars to pay for sidewalk snow removal this winter, reversing the decision to cut it from the budget two years ago.
“Discontinuing the sidewalk plowing a couple of years ago was not the best call but at the time seemed like the thing we needed to do. Now we are going to correct that.”
Councilman Mike Dora says removing the snow will get pedestrians out of the street and back up onto the sidewalks.
“Hopefully get those opened up so people can start using them instead of the roadways. Everyday I’m driving and there are more and more people walking in the street.”
It is not strictly enforced, but the mayor says a city ordinance does require owners to clear the snow on their sidewalks.
“The ordinance does state the primary responsibility is on the property owners to clear sidewalks in front of their property.”
When it snows, council member Erin Lyon says citizens should not wait for the city.
“The city might not be able to get to every sidewalk every day. It is still the responsibility of the renter, the owner, the person living in the house to take care of their sidewalks.”
